The MaTRON
by Mushlian
Summary: It is the year 2520. Technology has greatly advanced to the point where a new machine is being tested. It is the MaTRON, the machine that "births" video game characters into the real world to live amongst humans. It is still in testing, and the first four test subjects have been chosen. Mario, Link, Peach, and Zelda. However, there's a malfunction.
1. Chapter 1

**AU: **Hello, and welcome to my second fanfiction. This one is another Super Smash Brothers fic. I've also written Daisy's Revenge, which can be seen on my profile. It's still in progress, and I still will be adding chapters, but I needed a break. This fanfiction will be much more tragic and dramatic than DR. Please note that this has nothing to do with the plot of DR, and nothing from that fic has any relevance here. The Zelda and Link from this fic are not from any particular game, although I had Ocarina of Time in mind as I was writing them. However, there are probably going to be some small things that do not go with Ocarina of Time. Now, without further ado, enjoy!

**Background: **It is the year 2520 and technology is at its finest. Lives are made so much easier now that special devices and tools are existent, and many new inventions are still being created. Among one of those new inventions is the MaTRON, which has yet to be tested. Its purpose? Even today, video games are still a vastly used means of escaping reality. In fact, video games have become so popular that the world is beginning to center around them. The purpose of the MaTRON is to bring video games up yet another level. Actually, its purpose is much more than that. This humungous machine that is about the size of a small city wrapped in cables and metal chambers is meant to "birth" video game characters into the real world, to live amongst humans. It is so large, in fact, that it must feed off of the global connection of all satellites in the universe, after the internet was reconstructed in 2224. Finally, interactions between these two worlds can be made. It was time to do the first test of the machine, which is to bring four iconic video gaming individuals- Mario, the red plumber, Princess Peach, the monarch of the mushroom kingdom, Link, the hero and wielder of the Triforce of Courage, and Princess Zelda, bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom and Princess of Hyrule- to our realm. The machine hasn't been truly tested, but it has been tinkered with and occasional sparks of light have been seen in the chambers.

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><p><strong>Hyrule<strong>

The feet of his brown steed clopped against the ground, gaining more and more rapidity in every step. Link looked back. Damn. He was still being chased. What are these creatures? What is causing them to show up? They don't even have a definite shape. They are just shadows, filled with strange characters and letters. No face, no arms, and no legs. They are moving so fast, too. Link has no idea of where to shoot his bow, so he decides to just shoot in their general direction. They easily can avoid it, though. They are just too quick. Oddly, Link couldn't sense that they had any truly evil intentions. It felt as if they didn't belong in this world, and that they were lost. Still, people have been going missing lately, and Link is sure that these creatures are the cause of it. Is the princess alright? Link's destination changed to Hyrule Castle, as he was determined to protect Zelda with his life.

Link saw the castle on the horizon. He squeezed Epona with his legs to make her go faster. His mind was racing with different thoughts and scenarios of what could be going on in Castle Town. Just as he was approaching the town, more of those creatures spawned in front of him. He tried defending himself and his horse with his sword, but it went right through the creatures with no damage. His horse tripped into one of the creatures, and they both fell onto the grass of Hyrule Field. Link heard Epona neigh, and he quickly looked over in that direction. He yelled at the sight of his precious steed being consumed by those monsters. As fast as they fell, Epona was nearly gone and he knew it was too late to save her. There were far too many things on his mind to even register the loss of his horse. Link got up, just now realizing the pain in his leg from his fall. He ran into town with a limp, but his concern for the princess was far more important.

He entered the town, and it was chaos. He looked to his left and right, only to see people screaming. A vendor screamed at Link for help while his lower body became the same sequence of letters and symbols as the creatures, while a mother and her two children were sobbing and telling each other how much they loved one another. Link was getting very nervous, especially for the wielder of the Triforce of Courage. He decided to pay no more attention to those in peril around him, as it was too late for them. He looked to the castle, and it didn't seem like there were as many creatures there. There's still hope. He ran to the castle, pretty much forgetting that his leg was even injured.

He arrived, and the guardsmen were too busy fending off the small quantity of creatures to even notice Link. Of course, from his experience, Link knew that the swords of the guardsmen wouldn't be able to kill these beasts. Still, he thought of Zelda again and walked straight into the castle and up the stairs. He knocked on Zelda's door and was quickly greeted by a hostile Impa who held a dagger up to his neck.

"You will not lay a hand on the-" Impa noticed who she was pinning against the wall. "Oh, I'm sorry, Link." She released her grip. "It's just that these creatures have us on full alert."

"Link?" A familiar voice came from inside the room. Link walked inside to see Zelda, with a concerned expression on her face. "Link!" She ran up to him and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Yes," Link started, "I'm fine. I'm glad that you're alright, too." A wave of relief washed over Link. Zelda was safe. For now, anyway. He can protect her now, though, since he'll always be keeping an eye on her.

"So," Zelda looked out the window to see her land being consumed by strange sequences of letters and numbers. "What is happening to my kingdom?" She frowned.

"I don't know," Link said, "but we'll get through it. I don't think it's Ganondorf."

"I don't think so either. Whatever this is, it isn't evil. I can't allow it to continue, though. My people are in danger, and I fear that some have already suffered the ultimate price." Zelda sighed.

"We don't know if they're dead, yet." Link told Zelda.

"Yes, that is true, but if they aren't, what is happening to them?" Her blue eyes locked with his.

Link sighed. "I can't answer that one."

"Perhaps..." Zelda frowned. "No, I can't force you to do that again."

"What, Zelda? You know I'll do anything to protect you and this kingdom. Just tell me." Link reassuringly smiled.

Zelda blushed at that statement. "Thank you. I know you will. What I was thinking is that, perhaps it is time that the Master Sword be wielded once again. It certainly is a time of need for our kingdom."

Link pondered for a moment. The legends told of the Master Sword being needed only once in the hero's lifetime. However, times are desperate, and drastic measures must be taken for the safety of Zelda and Hyrule. "Yes. I think you might be right. I'll go to get it." He started leaving the room.

"Link, wait." Zelda put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm coming with you."

"No, you can't." Link said. "It's too dangerous."

"I'm sick of sitting back while my people suffer. I want to protect. I want to be... like you. Besides, you want to protect me, don't you? I trust you more than anyone in this castle. You are the chosen hero, after all. We can protect each other." Zelda smiled.

Link thought about it for a moment, and decided that the princess was right. "Fine. Let's go. My sword doesn't have any effect on these things, but maybe your magic will." Zelda nodded in agreement, and they both left the castle.

Twilight has fallen on Hyrule as Link and Zelda re-entered Castle Town. It was now empty. Have the residents been taken by the creatures, or are they in hiding?

"I hope everyone's alright..." said Zelda.

"I'm not going to sugar coat it. I think that they are in serious danger, if they haven't died already." Link frowned at the princess.

Zelda looked at the ground. "Yes... you're probably right."

"Hey." Link tapped on Zelda's shoulder. "Like I said, we'll get through this."

Zelda smiled at him. "Ok. Thanks for that."

The two approached the end of Castle Town and entered Hyrule Field. The unknown creatures were everywhere. Most of them were motionless, while some were pacing around, perhaps trying to find another victim. Link was about to run and try to fight them in order to lower the risk of Zelda getting hurt, but the princess grabbed his arm. She put her finger up to her lips, telling Link to be silent. They both lowered themselves and slowly paced towards the forest where the Master Sword lies.

Things were going well. Zelda and Link are safe, and they could fight these things together if needed. They could see the trees of the forest on the other side of the field. As long as they are quiet and don't draw too much attention to themselves, these monsters probably won't even notice them.

"Ah!" Zelda tripped over a log on the grass, causing a loud noise to be heard.

"No!" Link saw the creatures, already taking notice of their existence here. They started charging toward them.

Zelda was still kneeling on the ground from her fall while blasting Din's Fire at them while Link was trying to hit them with bombs and arrows, but nothing was working. How do you kill these things? Suddenly, to the horror of Link, the creatures were able to make their move. They swarmed over Zelda, and her arms were already starting to change to the sequence of numbers, letters, and symbols.

"Zelda!" Link screamed, trying to slash away the monsters, but to no avail.

"Link." Zelda smiled at him, with a tear in her eye. "It's going to be alright. I was careless. I shouldn't have let this happen. But please, Link, just save the kingdom, ok?"

"Zelda..." Link had a tear in his eye as well. "I-"

It was too late. Zelda has been devoured by those _things_. Link just stood there, staring at where she was mere seconds ago. Nothing remained. Nothing to remember her by. It's almost as if she never existed.

"NO!" Link turned to the creatures with wild eyes filled with fury and anguish. In a frenzy, he charged at them with his sword in hand, hacking and slashing away. There were no thoughts in his mind, just the wish to kill these creatures. In this state, he couldn't even remember that his sword was completely ineffective. Still, he screamed as he slashed and cut, and nothing happened. Eventually, he cooled down, and the thoughts started to pour in. _She's gone. What is my purpose anymore? All I've ever wanted was to protect her. I shouldn't be the one who is alive. _Tears started to form again. If there was anything that Link would cry about, it would be something that has to do with Zelda. _I shouldn't be alive. _His knees buckled and he fell to the ground, dropping his sword. The creatures slowly crawled over him. He, too, was consumed.


	2. Chapter 2

**AU: **Thanks for the reviews, faves, and follows! To the reviewer who asked for more smash characters, I will be adding more, but perhaps in a way that you might not expect. ;) Anyway, here's the next chapter! This fic will be in first-person, but I'm having the first 2 or 3 chapters as third person just to sort of get a neutral view on what's happening. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>The Mushroom Kingdom<strong>

She was alone, and scared. Where's Mario? She'd feel much safer with him around, even though she can probably take care of herself. She was being held in the castle cellar, as Toadsworth was upstairs talking to some other toad guards about the threat. These _things, _or "entifoes" as the toads have started to call them, have been rampaging all over the kingdom. Toad town is in ruins, with houses half-eaten and plenty of missing citizens. Even some parts of the castle, such as the gardens, have been overrun.

Peach tried desperately to sleep. To wake up, and have everything go back to normal because this must be a nightmare. There has never been a crisis quite this horrible in the history of her reign. Normally, a red plumber would come to her assistance by now, but he is nowhere to be seen. Is it too late for him? Have the entifoes already laid their numeric grasp on her hero? Perhaps they haven't even entered the area of his house, and he's completely clueless. Either way, she's terribly worried.

She lied down on the stained and worn down emergency cot that was set up for her. The cellar is warm, dark, and a bit damp. This is no place for a princess. Still, she doesn't complain. People get this strange image of her sometimes, that everything must be pretty and perfect for her in order for her to be pleased. Really, she'd settle for anything, as long as loved ones are nearby. She closes her eyes, but they flicker open, full of worry and concern for Mario and her loyal servants and citizens. She cannot wait any longer.

Peach gets up from her bed, and doesn't even look in the mirror. Her long blonde hair hasn't even been styled. Long strands just fall straight down her back. She's still wearing her dress that she wears every day, although it's a bit wrinkled towards the bottom. The princess decides that if she were to go upstairs, Toadsworth and the guards would just stop her out of concern. Instead, she's using the hidden tunnel behind the nearby antique bookshelf that only she and the past rulers of the kingdom knew about, along with a few exceptions such as Toadsworth. She climbs out of a pipe in the middle of a nearby forest that leads to Mario's house. Strange... no entifoes.

The monarch brushes off her dress and proceeds to walk through the forest. Mario's home is in sight. A smile has not passed Peach's face ever since this situation. How could this happen all in one day? It feels like it has been weeks. Her optimism has diminished almost completely. She finally reached Mario's door. She looked through the window on the side of his house, and found her hero fast asleep, without a care in the world. Instead of her usual smile when she sees Mario, she frowned at the sight. How could he sleep at a time like this? Without even knocking, Peach obtained Mario's house key from under his welcome mat, and unlocked the door.

She walked in, closed the door behind her, and walked up to Mario. He was still snoring.

"Um... Mario?" She wasn't sure how to approach this. It's rather hard waking someone up and telling them that the world is practically ending. "Mario. Wake up."

Still no response. She patted him on the shoulder.

"Mario."

"Nngh...huh?" Mario's eyes clenched for a moment, and then fluttered open. He gasped, as the princess being in his room was obviously a surprise.

"Peach..." He smiled. "What'd I miss?"

Peach didn't return that smile, and Mario quickly found out that this was a serious visit.

He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I'm surprised you haven't found out for yourself. Haven't you seen them?" Peach said.

"Them? Who are _them_?" He was completely oblivious as to what was going on.

She looked out of his window. "Oh, dear. This can't be happening..."

"What?" He hopped out of his bed and looked, too. "What are those things?" He stared at the large quantity of numbers and letters consuming the nearby trees. His frown drooped even further. He feels so useless, not knowing anything about what's happening.

"They're called entifoes. Don't bother fighting them. The guards tried. Nothing works." Her blue eyes never broke contact with Mario. She moved over to the other window. It was the same thing there. They were surrounded.

"...No." Tears started forming in her eyes. She's kept a strong front, until now. She slumped down onto the floor and buried her face in her arms.

Mario walked over to her, and put his hand on her shoulder. He was still a bit uninformed, but he could tell by the way that the princess was talking that these things are at threat like no other. Perhaps, this time, death was imminent.

"It's ok..." Mario said. "We can go together." A tear fell onto the floor from his eye as well.

They embraced each other, eyes shut. It was time. The entire house, including them, quickly became nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Zelda**

It's cold and dark in here... where am I? Is this the afterlife?I get up from the ground, but quickly stumble back against the wall and fall onto a bench. The pain in my head is unbearable. I hope that Link is alright... Wait. Am I even alright? I examine my own body. No cuts, bruises, or scrapes. My dress doesn't have a single tear in the fabric. No dirt or anything either... it's pristine. The pain has went away enough so that I can at least lift my head.

Metal. Metal everywhere. The floors, the wall, even the bench that I'm sitting on is metal. Is this really what it's like after death? Solitary confinement? I look over to the other corner of the room. No. This isn't solitary confinement. There's someone here. Maybe he can explain my whereabouts. I get up from the bench, and I feel lightheaded again. Still, I tough it out and walk over to the man. He's fast asleep, lying down on the ground. He looks rather short, with a red long-sleeved shirt and blue denim overalls with gold buttons. His large brown shoes have a certain shine to them. A red cap covers the short, messy brown hair on his head. There is something embroidered on the cap. The letter "M"... how curious. Is he a gardener, perhaps? I've never seen him around Hyrule before...

Suddenly, he let out a groan, and he shut his eyes even harder than before. There was dried drool all over the side of his face. His eyes began to open. I decide to back away a bit. After all, strangers don't often mean well in Hyrule, and I've never seen this man before. Still, there's something about him that makes him seem mild and personable, and I haven't even spoken to him. Finally, he started to actually awaken.

"Ungh..." The stranger held the palm of his hand to his forehead.  
>"Erm... excuse me..." I don't want to bother him right away, but the curiosity of where I am overtakes me.<p>

His eyes widen. "Who are you, and where's the princess?"

"I should ask you the same. However, I can confirm that I'm a princess." Immediately after I said that, I regretted it. It probably isn't a good idea to go about telling a stranger that I'm a princess. He might want a ransom...

"No, you're not the princess that I'm looking for. Her name is Peach. Have you seen her?"

"I'm sorry, but you're the first person that I've seen since I woke up over there." Is there another princess here? That's odd... Peach. What a peculiar name. The questions are starting to dawn on me again. Those questions being what exactly happened and what is the point of my being here.

"Do you know why we're here?" I ask.

"Um... No. I'm sorry, but I don't." It seems that this man hasn't even paid attention to those questions. He seems bent on getting to this "Princess Peach."

"Oh... Well, can you at least tell me your name?"

"Ah, sorry! Where are my manners? My name is Mario. Nice to meet you. And you are...?"

I mull it over for a moment, if I should tell him or not. I don't think he's a threat, though. "I am Princess Zelda of the kingdom of Hyrule."

**Mario**

Another princess, eh? Well, she's not mine. Where is Peach? Her face when we left together... She looked so pained... I can't bear to see her like that again. I need to be there for her.  
>"Well, nice to meet you, Zelda. Are you looking for someone, too?" I said. As soon as I asked that, her eyes widened. I guess I helped her remember something.<br>"Link... I have to find Link. Have you seen a taller man with blond hair dressed in green?" She looked kind of worried. I have no idea who she's talking about, though.  
>"Eh, no? I'm sorry. I've never seen him. Wanna work together?" Maybe this Link is with Peach.<p>

"Y-Yes..." She replied. I can practically see the fear that I saw in Peach's eyes when we left together in Zelda's.

"So, tell me about yourself." I ask. It's not every day that I get to meet another princess, after all.

"Well, I already told you that I'm the princess of Hyrule." She looked me in the eyes. Her blue eyes look as clear as Peach's, yet it feels like there is a little bit less hope in them, as if she's suffered many struggles in her life.

"I-I'm sorry." Am I intruding by asking her a simple question? "If I may ask, what is Hyrule?"

"You don't know what Hyrule is?" She raised a brow.

"Um... no. I don't." I only know the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland, along with a few other galaxies. I've never heard of a place called Hyrule.

"Well, it's usually a nice kingdom filled with lakes and rivers and different people and creatures, but lately it has been overrun by these strange monsters that are made up of nothing but sequences of letters and numbers." Zelda frowned.

Wait a second... sequences of letters and numbers... "Wait, do you mean the entifoes?"

"Entifoes... what are those?" She asked. Oh, yes. She isn't from the Mushroom Kingdom.

"I'm not entirely sure if we're thinking the same thing, but our kingdom has been overrun by those monsters, too." I said, clearing things up.

"Really? Maybe they have something to do with us being here." She said.

I never thought of that. I suppose I'm just being blinded by my need to find Peach.

"Maybe. First things first, though. Let's find the ones that we lost." There's a doorway that I didn't even notice until just now that is on the other side of the room. Maybe that leads to where Peach is.


	4. Chapter 4

**AU:** Hello, again. I know that this is a very short chapter and I apologize. I'm mainly just posting it to tell you that I'm alive and writing, although not much. I've been doing a role play with a friend, and I've become more involved in that than in my stories, and again, I'm sorry. I'll try to write more often for this, but I'm not promising. I have commitment issues... hehe...

**Link**

"Um… ma'am?" I stare at the woman in pink, sleeping before me. Her blonde hair is a slightly brighter tint than Zelda's. There's a crown perched atop her head, but I've never seen her before. Is she in costume? Perhaps she's one of the town performers from Castle Town.

"M….Mario…." She says, still fast asleep. Poor girl… She must have lost her lover, or someone close to her during the takeover. I look up from her, and inspect the room. Why is there so much metal? I see a door over near the corner…

"Just… take it easy." I say to her, although I know she doesn't hear it. I need to see where that door leads. I have a lady of my own to worry about. Maybe Zelda's here somewhere, too.

Suddenly, a wave of panic rushed over me. Zelda is dead. Wait a second… I should be dead. Why aren't I dead? Unknowingly, a smile formed in my lips. If I'm not dead, Zelda isn't either. I look out of the doorway. A dimly lit hallway with multiple paths branching out of it lies in front of me. For one last time, I look at the girl in a princess outfit lying nearby. She looks a little older than me, yet much more naïve and innocent. It's almost as if she somehow kept her childlike sense of wonder. She looks healthy, so I won't feel bad leaving her on her own. I have to find Zelda.

So many paths, twists, and turns… Which way is correct? It feels like the Lost Woods back at home, but only worse. I decide to go right on my first turn, and then left on the next. The hallways look identical to each other, with no signs of normal rooms. How am I supposed to find the right way?

**Peach**

The nightmare won't stop. Seeing the entifoes take me over and over again… Maybe this is what it's like after you die. Seeing your final moment over and over again, wishing you could have done something to stop it. Something that could've saved you and your loved ones. Something that could make you a hero. Who am I kidding? I'm no hero. I let my kingdom get totally consumed by these things, and at the final moment, I run over to Mario's house for help. Seeing that helpless look in his eyes is what is haunting me the most in these visions. If Mario is scared, then it's all over. I wake up with a tears running down my cheeks.

"Crying again…" I mumble to myself. I really need to stop this.

Is this hell? I finally look around. It seems like my version of hell. I can't believe that not so long ago, I was out golfing with Mario and all of my friends. Life is so much different now. I guess this isn't life, though, is it? I'm all alone again, just like whenever I'm kidnapped by Bowser. I think I'd rather Bowser over this fate, though. Because this time, as pathetic as it sounds, I know Mario can't rush in to save me. He's dead, too, probably in his own hell. There's no hope, is there? It's not like anyone else is here. I'll probably go crazy within a month, if there's even a concept of time here…

I think of everyone back home. Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Rosalina, all my toad friends, and even Wario and Waluigi. How I'd love to see their faces again. Before I know it, I find myself with my face buried into my skirt, sobbing.

I _really _need to stop this.


End file.
